Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Betsy Clark. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Betsy, thanks for joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
I didn’t start my career in pelvic health. I was a travel therapist, moving across the country with my husband, practicing in every setting you can imagine. When I finally settled into an orthopedic job during my first pregnancy, I noticed a pattern: I could get my low back pain patients about 80% better, but never all the way. I didn’t know why.
Then came my own wake-up call. After 36 hours of labor, an emergency C-section, and delivering a very large baby, I went to pelvic PT, not because I was leaking or having “classic” pelvic floor symptoms, but because I couldn’t figure out how to use my core again. I remember thinking: I’m a physical therapist and even I don’t know how to do this. How is anyone else supposed to? That moment changed me.. After my second birth (another big baby, another C-section- but a healing, empowering experience this time), I took a deep dive into my own recover and pelvic health understanding.. I started taking pelvic health courses, and I’ll never forget sitting in my first class thinking: These people are obsessed with pelvic health… and I think I’m about to be, too. One course led to another. I trained through pelvic 1, 2, 3, rectal exams, advanced return-to-sport concepts- you name it. I realized my passion wasn’t just helping moms “get cleared” at 6 weeks; it was bridging the massive gap between medical clearance and truly returning to strength, running, CrossFit, or whatever lights someone up.
By the time I had my third (a 10 lb 8 oz baby via another C-section) I committed fully. I rehabbed myself differently that time, applying everything I’d learned. And then I decided: women deserve this. The fitness-forward mom, the athlete, the dancer, anyone who refuses to settle for less than full strength and needs care that’s just as ambitious as they are. So, I opened my own practice. I started small, just me, as a side gig, some workshops in the community and from there it grew. Now I run a thriving pelvic health practice where I treat women across the lifespan: from teens, to pregnancy, to postpartum, to perimenopause. I merge my orthopedic background with pelvic health expertise to help women not only recover, but rebuild and return stronger than before. Because I’ve been there. I’ve felt broken down, disconnected, and unsure of how to move forward. And I know firsthand what’s possible when you have the right support.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m Betsy, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, pelvic health specialist, orthopedic movement expert, and mom of three C-section babies. I pride myself on being a fitness forward Physical Therapist, keeping you in the gym, not taking you out of it! My journey into pelvic health wasn’t linear, I actually started out as a travel therapist, working in settings all across the country. I loved the variety, and eventually settled into orthopedics, especially since I was a collegiate athlete myself and loved helping active people return to what they love. Once I became a mom and had my own wake-up call. After 36 hours of labor, an emergency C-section, and a 10+ lb baby, I was left feeling like a stranger in my own body. Even as a PT, I couldn’t figure out how to reconnect with my core. I started pelvic PT myself, and while it was empowering, I realized there was still a huge gap when it came to bridging women back into the higher-level fitness they wanted such as CrossFit, lifting, running, all the things that lit me up. That gap became my mission. I dove into pelvic health training and started applying it not only to myself but to my patients. I realized women didn’t just need someone to “clear” them, they needed someone to walk them all the way back into strength, performance, and confidence. That’s when I opened my own practice.
Now, I specialize in fitness-forward pelvic health and orthopedic physical therapy. I treat women across the lifespan-teens, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause-helping them recover from things like leaking, diastasis, prolapse, pelvic pain, and birth-related injuries, while also returning to high-level activities like lifting, running.
What sets me apart is that I merge orthopedic principles with pelvic health and keep a fitness-first approach. I don’t just want you “leak-free” while walking-I want you back deadlifting, sprinting, or carrying your kids without fear. I don’t settle for halfway, and I don’t let my patients settle either.
I’m most proud of creating a space where women feel safe, seen, and genuinely supported because pelvic health is intimate, and too many women have been dismissed, told to just “live with it,” or brushed off. My patients know they’re not just a number or a diagnosis, they get my full attention, my brain, and my encouragement.
The main thing I want people to know? You don’t have to live with dysfunction. You don’t have to accept leaking, pain, or feeling “broken” after birth. You can be strong again. You can trust your body again. You can thrive, not just survive, in whatever season of life you’re in.
That’s what my brand and my practice are all about: reclaiming ownership of your body, building true strength from the inside out, and living life fully, without compromise.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
I’ve walked through the hard stuff myself: a traumatic first birth into a C-section, two more C-sections, postpartum depression, identity loss, breastfeeding struggles, years of infertility, and the challenge of rebuilding my body and fitness again and again. I know what it feels like to want more for yourself but feel stuck, and I also know the strength it takes to fight for recovery and come out the other side. That perspective allows me to meet my patients with true empathy, authenticity, and understanding, while also showing them what’s possible. My ability to combine both professional expertise and personal experience is what allows me to connect deeply with the women I treat and guide them back to strength and confidence.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I practiced for eight years in an insurance-based system where every ounce of treatment was dictated by codes, time limits, and documentation. It trained me to think small, to squeeze as much as possible into a session, and to accept that the “system” decided when a patient was “done” – whether or not they were actually where they wanted to be. So when I started my own practice, I struggled with the mindset shift. People would ask, “Do you take insurance?” and I’d get frustrated, because for so long I’d been conditioned to believe that insurance was the only way people accessed care. It was hard to imagine that anyone would pay cash out of pocket for what I offered. But here’s what I learned: people absolutely will pay for high-quality, individualized care, when they see the value in it. And that realization was so validating. It taught me that my expertise, my time, and my ability to help someone go beyond “just surviving” is worth it. It also taught me that I had to unlearn the entire system I came up in. I no longer cram sessions full of exercises just to justify a code. I’m not limited by someone’s arbitrary insurance cap. I get to treat the whole person, for as long as they need, in a way that actually changes their life. And honestly? That freedom to serve people at the highest level without insurance dictating every move, has been one of the most rewarding shifts in my career.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.positiveimpactpt.com
- Instagram: positiveimpactpt
- Facebook: Positive Impact Physical Therapy
Image Credits
shorelovephotography